Caught Up In The Moment
by TeamNoSleep
Summary: I couldn't tell you the exact moment I lost myself...But when I lost myself didn't matter. It was when I found a reason to smile again. It was the four boys who, despite everything, helped me find my way.
1. Chapter 1

**Previously MoonWarriors. Head on over to that account to check out older stories. Much love xx Enjoy**

I couldn't tell you the exact moment I lost myself. Maybe it was when my mother died, or when my heartbroken father abandoned me. It could have been at the start of junior year when I decided leaving Minnesota was all that mattered to me. But when I lost myself didn't matter. It was when I found happiness that truly created memories. It was when I found a reason to smile again. It was the four boys who, despite everything, helped me find my way.

Chapter 1

My aunt, Marissa, was already on her way to work when I woke up for school. She was a successful lawyer who worked at the firm four days a week. Marissa also was a foster mom, who stayed at home the remaining three days to watch the kids. On the days she worked, her cousin, Eve, would stay home and watch them. Knowing Eve was likely still asleep upstairs, I quickly made blueberry pancakes for the five young kids, already awake and wild. Skipping breakfast myself, I ran back upstairs to my room to change into blue jeans and an oversized sweatshirt. I stood in front of the mirror, watching as I braided my long black hair back and avoiding meeting my own blue eyes.

Eve was sitting at the table, sleepily watching the five young kids as they ate when I came back downstairs. I planted a quick kiss on each of the six heads at the table and said good-bye before I left for school.

When I arrived on campus, I watched as friends eagerly greeted each other. Boyfriends met their girlfriends with sweet kisses and warm hugs. Even teachers shook hands or waved as they saw each other. I sighed and walked on, hugging my arms to my stomach, knowing I would get no such welcome onto campus.

Just as every other day, a large group of teenagers stood in front of my first period class. Surrounded by a group of desperate girls were four happy, laughing boys. I didn't know their names- I had no classes with them and no friends to gossip with- but I had heard about them. They were best friends, all made varsity hockey as freshmen, and had a reputation of being the four hottest boys in the junior class. A joke was made and the whole crowd roared with laughter, and, as he does every day, the tall brunette of the crowd caught my attention with his perfect hair, sparkling hazel eyes, and captivating perfect-toothed grin. Still smiling, he glanced at me and for a split-second, our eyes met. As I felt a fierce blush rush to my cheeks, I quickly looked down at my feet and picked up the pace walking into my classroom.

The rest of school passed by quickly. Occasionally, a classmate would wave or say hi as I passed them in the halls, but no one stuck around to start up a conversation or walk with me to class. After school, I sat in my usual spot at a bench looking out at the outdoor pool the swim team would practice at when it wasn't frozen over. I looked out over the glistening ice, reminiscing the days when my father would sit on the couch with me, watching Minnesota Wild games, or when he could take me out on the ice to teach me how to skate. My fond memories were interrupted when a force pushed me onto the cold snow.

I quickly stood up and brushed myself off, mentally preparing myself for whatever this person had to say to me. I wasn't surprised when I saw the two tall, blonde, and beautiful twins standing in front of me. I had given them the nickname the "Popsicles" to correspond with their popularity and ice-cold hearts. Victoria and Veronica had targeted me since freshman year and, as hard as I tried to tune them out, they always managed to knock me down.

"Oops," Veronica purred. "Didn't see you there."

"It's like you were _totally invisible_ ," Victoria giggled. They each took a step towards me as I took a step back.

"Why are you out here all alone? No friends to keep you company?" Victoria asked me, tilting her head to the side as they continued to advance.

"Oh wait, we already knew the answer to that. She doesn't have any friends," Veronica laughed. "You know, this world would be in _much_ better shape if you weren't around."

"It's not like you have anything to contribute to society," Victoria looked at me, mock concern painted across her face. "I mean, you're dumb, you're ugly, you're fat, you have _zero_ social skills. Why are you even still here?"

I opened my mouth in a desperate attempt to defend myself, but instead a shriek escaped. In retrospect, I should have seen the " _Warning: Thin Ice_ " signs next to the pool. Instead, as I backed away from my bullies, I stepped with too much weight in my heels and my foot slipped right through into the freezing water. Instinctively, I threw myself forward to try to catch myself, only succeeding in cracking my head against the concrete edge. I vaguely heard the Popsicles scream as I slipped into a cold, watery world. I was losing consciousness quickly and my lungs screamed for air. In the split seconds I was aware of what was happening, I was afraid. As I continued to sink, I knew it was the end.

But then, something crazy happened. Someone dove in after me, wrapping his or her strong arms around me, and pulled me back up to the surface. Sprawled out on the ice, I gasped in as much air as possible, coughing up water in the process. Still vaguely conscious and unnaturally weak, I muttered "no, no" and pushed their hands away as someone was trying to strip the clothes away from my skin. My arms fell limp and I managed to say "no, don't" one last time before completely losing consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I awoke shivering and unaware of where I was. My head pounded and stung in protest when I touched my fingers to a wound on my forehead. Carefully, I touched my fingertips to the gash, hissing slightly at the pain.

The door to my right flew open, filling the previously dark room with bright light. My eyes quickly shut, protesting against the sudden change in light.

"She's awake!" a voice exclaimed and a figure rushed to my bedside. Through one eye, still screaming against the light, I saw three more figures run in behind him.

"Where am I?" I croaked, my throat dry and sore. I forced my eyes open to find a sight I had never thought I would ever encounter. Who else to stand at my bedside than the four most popular and attractive boys in the junior class?

"How are you?" the boy with spiky brown hair asked me as he sat at the foot of the bed.

"Fine," I said slowly, hugging my knees to my chest.

"Still cold?" I hesitated for a moment before slowly nodded. "Carlos, get her a blanket, would you?"

"Yes sir," the Latino boy in the helmet saluted eagerly.

"What's your name?" the boy that had caught my attention so many times before asked me. Part of me was a little disappointed, although I shouldn't have been. Those three words, the first three words he had ever spoken to me, crushed any teenage girl fantasies of having the hottest guy in school secretly pining for the loser girl at school that I had.

"What's _your_ name?" I countered.

His hand flew up to his heart as he let out a small shriek. "Y-you don't know who I am?" He seemed taken aback. I shook my head.

"Get over yourself," the blonde boy laughed. "My name's Kendall."

"I'm Logan," the boy with spiky brown hair told me.

"I'm Carlos!" the Latino boy with the helmet exclaimed as he entered the door with another big blanket for me.

"I'm James," the pretty boy told me as he flipped his hair to the side. "But my friends call me 'Awesome.'" Kendall smacked his arm.

"I'm London," I said quietly.

"Nice to meet you, London," Kendall smiled at me.

"Um, so… Where am I?" I asked them.

"We saw you fall into the pool so James pulled you out and you were unconscious and we didn't know where you lived or what your name was so we just brought you back to my house," Kendall rambled quickly.

"So… I was unconscious, nearly drowned, and you brought me back to your house? You didn't think to take me to a hospital or, I don't know, call 911?"

"Please," Logan scoffed. "I'm going to be a doctor one day. Of course we called 911."

"And?"

"They assessed you on the scene," he told me. "You were in and out of consciousness there and they told us you suffered no major injuries. So we brought you back here so you would be comfortable and probably a lot less freaked out when you woke up." As what he told me sunk in, I absentmindedly rubbed my goose bump covered arms.

"Are you still cold?" Kendall asked me. I nodded slowly.

"Don't be freaked out," Logan told me, holding his hands up. "But body heat will help you a lot."

"I got you," James smiled, climbing onto the bed next to me. I scooted away and looked at him curiously.

"Excuse me?" I asked him. "I literally _just_ met you."

"Relax. I pulled you out of the pool; you can trust me. I don't bite. Just let me keep you warm." I stayed silent as James wriggled under the covers and wrapped his arms around me. I hated to admit it, but he gave off exactly the warmth I craved. Convincing myself this was simply for the sake of my warmth, I snuggled up to him.

"Thank you," I whispered. He responded by gently rubbing his hands against my cold arms. To my surprise, I quickly fell asleep.

When I awoke this time, I was still snuggled into James.

"Morning," he smiled when he noticed I was awake.

"Sorry," I muttered, quickly pulling away from him and getting out of the bed. I found that I had been changed into a pair of sweats that weren't mine.

"Don't apologize," he told me. "It's totally fine. The guys are all in the living room. Come on." He motioned for me to follow him. The other three boys were sitting on couches with an older woman with red hair.

"How are you feeling?" she asked me as she handed me a cup of hot chocolate.

"Much better, thank you," I answered, graciously accepting the cup.

"I'm Kendall's mom," she introduced herself.

"I'm London. Thank you so much for having me here."

"It's not a problem at all."

"How long have I been here?"

"Just about a day. Should we call your parents and tell them where you are?"

I thought for a moment. Marissa and Eve were busy and didn't need to worry about where I was or what had happened to me.

"No," I told her. "My aunt is working."

"Well you're welcome to stay here until she gets back."

"Thank you," I said. She smiled before leaving the room.

"So, London," Logan started. "I've seen you around school. You're a junior right?"

I nodded.

"You don't talk much," Carlos observed with a frown.

"Sorry," I muttered, looking down at my cup of hot chocolate. In truth, I wasn't used to having people talk to me and I wasn't used to this much attention.

"I think we're going to be best friends," he told me with a cheeky grin as he slung his arm around my shoulders. I was taken aback, but gave him a small smile as I took a sip of my hot chocolate.

For the next while, I sat and drank my hot chocolate while watching the boys goof around and laugh with each other. Occasionally, I would join in with their laughter. But then the thought occurred to me that I needed to go home and help with the kids. Being the oldest, Marissa and Eve gave me a lot of freedom to do as I pleased. Since I didn't have any friends to make stupid decisions with, I usually stayed home and played with the kids.

"I should get home," I said.

"We'll give you a ride," James offered.

"No, it's fine. I can walk," I declined.

"No, I'm giving you a ride home." He grabbed his keys off of the counter while the other three raced out of the house towards the car.

"Really, it's-" I cut myself off when James was already out the door. "Alright then."

Once we got to my house, I quickly thanked the boys for helping me and got out of the car.

"We'll see you on Monday, right?" Carlos asked, leaning halfway out of the car window.

"Sure," I answered, knowing they would forget all about me by the time Monday came.

"Bye, London!" the rest of the boys waved.

"Bye," I waved, running up the steps to my house. I quickly closed the door behind me, letting out a huge sigh. Five young kids barreled towards me, greeted me excitedly with tight hugs. I smiled at them, while still reflecting on the last few hours. Having friends, or at least the idea of them, was nice while it lasted.

Too bad it wouldn't.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it's been so long! Much love xx enjoy.**

Chapter 3

Monday rolled around and neither Marissa nor Eve had learned of the accident. I intended to keep it that way. When they noticed the gash across my forehead, I told them I accidentally walked into the corner of the cabinet. They didn't question it.

I pulled my long hair into a messy bun on top of my head and slipped on a white peacoat, jeans, and boots before heading downstairs.

"Good morning, Alexi!" Marissa exclaimed, calling me by her nickname for my middle name: Alexandria.

"Morning, Marissa," I answered, sitting at the table set with plates, forks, and waffles.

"Don't eat everything now," she smiled. "I'm going to go get the kids so they can say good-bye to you before you head off to school."

"No promises," I joked. A few minutes later, as I was finishing up my waffle, I heard several small footsteps running down the stairs.

"Alexi!" a chorus of voices exclaimed. Each of the kids called me by Marissa's nickname for me. As I stood up to grab my backpack, I bent down to kiss each of them on the top of the head.

There were five of them. Benny was the oldest, being five years old. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes, loved helping others, and was thoroughly convinced he would be a superhero when he grew up. Mikey was also five, just a few short months younger than Benny, and was a blonde haired, blue eyed sweetheart. Charlotte was four and a half with chestnut hair and brown eyes. She was never far behind the boys, just as fast and nearly as strong, and was sassy and confident. Chris was four, a red haired, green eyed, clumsy and uncoordinated goof. Cassie was the youngest, a platinum blonde, blue eyed three year old who laughed a lot and awkwardly waddled to keep up with the rest of the kids.

After receiving their good-bye kisses, they each ran to eat their breakfast while I said good-bye to my aunt.

"Have a good day at school, dear," she told me as I walked out the door. "Kids, say good-bye to Alexi one more time!"

A chorus of muffled "good-bye"s rang out as I closed the door behind me. As I walked, I wondered if the boys would remember me. I wondered if they would find me at school and talk to me. Little scenes ran through my head as I imagined them becoming my friends. Realizing I was becoming too hopeful and not wanting to risk disappointment, I quickly shook the images from my mine. Kendall, James, Carlos, and Logan were the four hottest and most popular boys at school. And I was just London. A loner. A loser. An orphan. They would never want anything to do with me if they learned who I really was.

I arrived at school, same as every other day. I watched as friends greeted each other eagerly. Boyfriends welcoming their girlfriends with sweet kisses and warm hugs. Even teachers waved to each other as they walked by on campus. I sighed, burying my numb hands into my pockets. I had a chance to be a part of that- to be welcomed every day at school. Any hopes I had quickly diminished as I walked alone to class.

Just as every other day, a large group of teenagers stood in front of my first period class. Kendall, James, Carlos, and Logan stood in the center of the crowd, laughing along with them. Just as he always did, James caught my eye.

But that day wasn't like every other. As soon as James saw me, he called my name.

"London!" Carlos exclaimed, seeing me too. The four pushed through the crowd to welcome me. I was taken aback.

"Hi, guys," I smiled shyly.

"Found you!" Kendall grinned.

"Um, yeah," I laughed lightly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Popsicles stop dead in their tracks. Whether they thought I had died on Friday or they were just surprised to see who I was talking to, their dropped jaws gave me a bit of satisfaction.

"Is this your class?" Logan asked, pointing to my AP Physics classroom.

"Yes-no!" I quickly exclaimed.

Logan raised an eyebrow. I sighed and looked down at my feet, muttering yes. That was it. I blew it. They knew I was a geek and now they would never want to be seen with me.

"I have this class second period," he told me. "We should study together sometime. The test next Friday is gonna kill my grade if I don't study."

"I'd like that."

"Beauty and brains," James smirked. A small blush crept up to my cheeks. The bell rang then and the boys were immediately panicked.

"If I'm late again, Mr. Jones will have my head on a plate!" Carlos yelped. He quickly ran off, followed by his three frantic friends.

"Wait, London!" Kendall ran back towards me. I turned to him.

"The guys and I are hanging out at my house tonight. You should come."

"Oh, I don't know-"

He interrupted me. "Sounds great. I'll give you the details at lunch." With that, he ran off. I sighed, tucking a strand of stray hair behind my ear. Joke was on them though. I had no idea where they ate lunch and they didn't know where I ate mine. There was no way they would be able to find me and give me the details of their get together after school. I would be saved the embarrassment of them realizing I wasn't friend material. At least, not for them.

Somehow, Kendall and James were waiting outside of my fourth period class at the start of lunch.

"How did you-" I stopped in my tracks when I saw them. "Are you stalking me?"

"Funny," Kendall laughed.

"We were talking about you in class third period," James told me. "We realized we didn't know where you sat at lunch and some kid overheard us. He told us he had class with you this period and so we ran here after class hoping we could catch you before you left."

"Well, you caught me."

"Come along," Kendall said as he and James each hooked their arms around mine. "You're eating lunch with us."

I sat quietly, listening to the boys talk about their plans for after school.

"You're coming, right?" Carlos asked me.

"I-I don't know," I stammered. "I mean, I have homework and I have to help Marissa with the kids and-"

"Do you just not want to be friends with us?" Logan asked slowly.

"No, no, no, that's not it!" I exclaimed quickly. "It's just… You guys have been so nice to me lately and I hate to intrude."

"You aren't intruding, silly!" Carlos laughed, slapping me lightly on the arm. "You're our friend!"

His words echoed in my mind. Friend.

"So what time tonight?"

"5 ok?"

"Sounds like a plan."

As per Carlos's decision, we watched Rise of the Guardians. Kendall, Carlos, and Logan took up the bigger couch. I sat down on the loveseat, expecting to be sitting alone when James sat down next to me.

He sat so close. His body brushed against mine every time he breathed. His arm was draped comfortably over the couch behind me. His scent was intoxicating. He adjusted himself and ended up closer to me than before. At one point in the movie, we looked at each other and shared a quick smile. I could easily see why James was the ladies' man of the school. It was no question why he was always the one to catch my eye at school. I would have to be careful around this one.


End file.
